Throttle-switch



L. L. BROOKS.

THROTTLE SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1919.

1,333,603. Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

glvwm utoz LL Brno/1's LESTER L. BROOKS, OF FALLS CITY, OREGON.

THROTTLE-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1920..

Application filed May 17, 1919. Serial No. 297,888.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LESTER L. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Falls City, in the county of Polk and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Throttle-Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a switch designed to break the ignition circuit of an automobile power plant, and particularly to provide means for breaking the ignition circuit when the automobile is coasting.

In drifting or coasting down hill, it is necessary, of course, to shut offthe passage of gas to the cylinders, this being accomplished by shifting the throttle of the engine to a closed position. At the same time, the ignition circuit must be broken either by turn ing the switch controlling this ignition circuit by hand, which is dangerous, or by knocking the switch plug out. In the latter case, when the bottom of the hill is reached and it is desired to again apply power to the engine, it is oftentimes found that the switch plug has worked out of the coil box and lies on the car floor where it is hard to find and put in place before the engine has stalled.

The general object of this invention is to provide a switch for controlling the ignition circuit which is connected to the throttle controlling rod so that when the throttle is completely closed, the switch arm will be so shifted as to break the circuit through the spark plugs, but which switch is further so constructed that the throttle may be manipulated to fully open it or more or less close it without breaking the circuit.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is very simple, can be readily put in place. which may be easily installed, and which is particularly adapted toFord cars.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of the dash board of a car and the steering mechanism therefor, showing my device applied in position;

Fig. 2 is a section through the steering rod. showing my attachment in plan View; and

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the attachment, partly in section.

Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that my attachment comprises a bracket 10, angularly bent at one end, this bracket carrying at its'other end an arcuate strip of wood fiber, designated 11. The upper face of this wood fiber strip carries upon it an arcuate copper strip 12 disposed in a groove 13 formed in the wood fiber and at its outer end this copper strip is connected to abinding post ll, whereby connection may be made to a magneto A.

The other portion of my attachment comprises a switch arm made in oppositely disposed sections, these sections being formed to provide, when together, a clamp 15 adapted to engage around the throttle actuating rod B of the automobile, and the sections being held in clamping engagement by means of a transverse screw 16-. At their ends, the sections are formed to provide jaws 17 adapted to embrace the insulating sleeve 18 of a. binding post contact 19, from which a wire 20 extends to one of the coil plugs of a coil boX C. Of course, it will be understood that the coil and the magneto are connected in the usual circuit to the spark plugs of the engine.

Preferably, the switch arm will be formed of metal, such as brass. The bracket 10 is bolted onto the upper right end steering gear assembly bolt. and the throttle switch is disposed beneath the hood of a Ford car, that is that portion of the hood which overhangs the dash board on a Ford car.

It will be seen that with this device, the throttle rod B may be rotated to shift the throttle from an open position to a partially closed position to any extent required, but that when the throttle rod has been pushed to a fully closed position, the binding screw 19, whose lower end forms a contact engaging with the copper strip 12. will pass off of the copper strip and onto the wood. fiber, thus breaking the circuit through the ignition mechanism, but that when the throttle is again opened, as for instance, when the car reaches. the bottom of a hill, the contact end of the binding screw will again engage with the strip 12 and the circuit will be once more completed. It will be seen that my device is very simple and may be easily applied. The wires leading from the binding screws will preferably be provided with the usual terminals and preferably will be incased in rubber or other insulating material.

I claim:

1. An attachment of the character described comprising a bracket having an arcuate insulating supporting strip extending therefrom, an arcuate metallic contact strip carried by the wood fiber strip and terminating short thereof at one end, the opposite end of the copper strip carrying a binding screw, and a switch arm having a clamp at one end whereby it may be attached to the throttle rod and at its opposite end carrying a binding screw formed with a metallic contact adapted to engage upon the face of the metallic strip, said binding screws being adapted to engage Wires forming part of an ignition circuit.

2. In an automobile, the combination with a rotatable throttle rod and an ignition circuit, of a switch arm detachably mounted upon the throttle rod and carrying a binding screw and a contact member, an arcuate strip of wood fiber operatively supported adjacent the switch arm and carrying an embedded arcuate, metallic contact member with which the contact on the switch arm is adapted to engage, the arcuate contact memher being less in length than the supporting strip therefor, one end of the arcuate contact member having a binding screw, said binding screws being adapted to be connected to wires forming part of the ignition circuit of an engine.

3. I11 an automobile, of a throttle rod, a coil box, and a magneto, of a sectional switch arm formed to provide jaws at one end adapted to engage around the throttle rod and having aws at the other end, a binding screw carried by said jaws and formed to provide a contact, means for holding the two sections of the switch arm in engagement with each other and the jaws closed, a bracket adapted to be attached to a fixed part of the automobile and carrying an arcuate insulating base, an arcuate contact member supported in said base and less in length than the base, one end of the contact member being provided with a binding screw, and electrical connections leading from the binding screws to the coil box and magneto respectively.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LESTER L. BROOKS. lVitnesses GEORGE R. LOWE, W. B. McKowN. 

